The Quest - Ashes 2013/14

[Mr Beefy]

THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

1. Some **** who can't hit the ball but can stay in for a scratchy 30 if he doesn't run himself out
2. Some **** who tries to belt every ball for six
3. Some other **** who failed last time but was just 'unlucky' in India
4. Some ******* bastard who won't do his homework.
5. Pretty boy ******* **** who's back is shagged and won't move up the order to face the music.
6. Some **** who is half an all rounder
7. One of our wicketkeepers who can bat a bit can't keep for ******* shit.
8. Some dickhead with shocking facial hair to make the English press notice we are actually in the country but can't hit the ******* pitch.
9. A guy with plenty of ******* heart but is gun barrell straight on decks that Hussey could swing them on
10. A young **** with promise with the bat but can't ******* take wickets
11. The magnificent Gazza Lyon!
12th. Some other ****.

We will lose this five match series six ******* nil.

regards,

Gordon Ramsay

I think this post belongs in a post Hall of Fame thread

[Pidge]

Cowan
Warner
Hughes
Clarke
S Marsh
Watson
Wade
Siddle
Harris
Pattinson
Lyon

Khawaja
S Smith
Paine
Starc
Bird

Agar / Sandhu are my smokies

I'd take a Voges / Bailey for the number 6 spot, but that's not going to happen

[CoverKing]

Cowan
Warner
Hughes
Clarke
S Marsh
Watson
Wade
Siddle
Harris
Pattinson
Lyon

Khawaja
S Smith
Paine
Starc
Bird

Agar / Sandhu are my smokies

I'd take a Voges / Bailey for the number 6 spot, but that's not going to happen

Been waiting for someone to write him.

Sandhu is every chance IMO. He has an amazing strike rate is his small amount of games so far for NSW.

He could well be on the trip IMO.Dont like the rest of your side but Sandhu is a massive chance to tour

[Jim05]

Im going
Cowan
Watson
Warner
Clarke
Hughes
Smith/Faulkner
Nevill
Siddle
Pattinson
Bird
Lyon

Would be taking SOK as the 2nd spinner, Cummins, Sandhu, Harris as the backup bowlers.
Khawaja probably gets a gig as a backup batter

[djd]

It’s been very difficult watching our team go about it’s business. I understand our mentality has to be all about winning and the team should do that but our selectors should have had the team building for the ashes for the last 12 months. Easy to say now i know. Problem with Clarke being a selector is that he wants a team picked to win every game and thats the reason why i think there is alot of chopping and changing for every test. Tell me why was lyon dropped for the second test? I also dont know why we have this infatuation with allrounders. Sure the good ones are great, but the mediocre ones are just that at test level.
Warner hasn’t been discussed on here much. Gee when he’s going, bloody great but we don’t need to win test matches on the first morning, in any case with our brittle batting line up we could be 0/150 at lunch and have sidds steaming in with the new rock an hour before stumps! Mine you he still gets my vote and you have to replace him with someone. Which leads me to my beef with malcom conn (cricket writer) and ricky ponting. Even in the isolated farming district of SA we still get the daily paper and what this dickhead was writing about the great man was disgraceful. Sure he was getting older and needed to make runs but you had to replace him with someone. That door wasn’t being knocked down. Now he is Sheffield shield player of the year, maybe we should bring him back.
Anyway have gone on enough, the team warner, steady ed, hughes, Clarke, bailey (just looks like a test player), Watson (has to bowl, can swing it both ways), wade ( or paine), siddle, pattenson, starc and lyon. Extras paine, harris, agar (WA bloke), fergunson , marsh and maybe sayers (can swing it big and keeps it very tight).

[jackpot jim]

djd, you contradict yourself by say that the selectors should have been team building for the Ashes the last 12 months but then say Ponting should still be part of it. Even champions cant play forever and Pontings time was up. Right decision was made imo. His form in the previous 12 months was ordinary and the thing that stood out was the ugly manner of some of his dismissels.
Also, why are Ashes series more important in some peoples eyes than a series in India or against Sth Africa ? They are all equally important in my eyes and the BEST IX should be picked for every Test. Players should only be given a Baggy Green when they are ready and have proved themselves in the Sheild comp and not be given a cheap cap to learn on the job.

[Jim05]

djd, you contradict yourself by say that the selectors should have been team building for the Ashes the last 12 months but then say Ponting should still be part of it. Even champions cant play forever and Pontings time was up. Right decision was made imo. His form in the previous 12 months was ordinary and the thing that stood out was the ugly manner of some of his dismissels.
Also, why are Ashes series more important in some peoples eyes than a series in India or against Sth Africa ? They are all equally important in my eyes and the BEST IX should be picked for every Test. Players should only be given a Baggy Green when they are ready and have proved themselves in the Sheild comp and not be given a cheap cap to learn on the job.

Whilst I agree all test series are important the Ashes are still the be all and end all.
Nothing even comes close to beating the poms

[drifter]

Whats the fascination with Smith ? His woodchopper technique will get torn apart on seaming wickets. Can't see what the fuss about Nevill is ? Ludeman has had a better season than him, I would have thought. The rest all makes good sense, although someone with genuine swing like Harris gets first crack for me before Bird.

tracks

Im going
Cowan
Watson
Warner
Clarke
Hughes
Smith/Faulkner
Nevill
Siddle
Pattinson
Bird
Lyon

Would be taking SOK as the 2nd spinner, Cummins, Sandhu, Harris as the backup bowlers.
Khawaja probably gets a gig as a backup batter

[The Sleeping Giant]

Gifted a spot for the 2nd time, scored a decent 50.

[Jim05]

The English conditions will suit Bird, bowls stump to stump, looks very McGrath like at times.
I think Nevill craps all over Luderman in glovework, IMO he is the best pure glovesman ive seen in Australia for a long time, needs to work on his batting but if youre going for a pure keeper he is my man.
Smith deserves a go after his effort in India although im a massive fan of Faulkner, good with the bat and also the ability to open the bowling

[Jim05]

Gifted a spot for the 2nd time, scored a decent 50.

Was gifted a spot the first time agree but after being dropped he went back to shield level and did all that could of been asked of him. Deserved a recall and so far superior to spuds like Maxwell

[The Sleeping Giant]

Suspensions?

[whufc]

Gifted a spot for the 2nd time, scored a decent 50.

Yep and his 48 was the highest score of all the specialist batsmen in that innings.

[drifter]

In India, on turners. Picked because he could play spin, not bowl it ironically. English conditions will be light years away from India's.

[whufc]

My surprise selection for the Ashes tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjtszYHFF8A

[whufc]

In India, on turners. Picked because he could play spin, not bowl it ironically. English conditions will be light years away from India's.

His two biggest shield scores this year were on the SCG and Hobart, both have been green tops for most of the year.

[Squids]

My surprise selection for the Ashes tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjtszYHFF8A

Everything in the air, no different to what we have now

[whufc]

My surprise selection for the Ashes tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjtszYHFF8A

Everything in the air, no different to what we have now

More space in the air than on the ground!

[Vulcan]

How do people rate tim paines chances.
Not sure on his seasons stats, but must be fit now... A very good keeper/batsman who if fit, I would have in my 11 before wade and haddin.
Also if fit and firing cummins has to go, and where is beer at?

[Squids]

Most overrated cricket going around.